Hong Kong on the Mountain
The journey from Hong Kong Customs to Shenzhen Customs takes only a few minutes by car, but once you enter Hong Kong Customs, it feels like entering another world. First, your mobile phone loses its signal immediately, making you realize instantly what "one country, two systems" means. Then, the roads, scenery, and even people's faces start to differ from those in mainland China. Everything appears both luxurious and quiet. I originally thought Hong Kong was a bustling metropolis, but it turns out to be mountainous everywhere, giving more of a mountain tourism feel. Buildings are scattered here and there, all located halfway up the mountains, not at all crowded. Both the mountains and valleys are covered with trees, and it's rare to see a place that isn't green. I couldn't help but marvel that living in a place with both urban charm and natural beauty must be better than being a celestial being. However, this feeling is only present when you first arrive in Hong Kong. Once you start spending money within this society, it's a completely different sensation. Here, a bottle of mineral water costs 15 yuan, and a small bowl of beef noodles is 48 yuan. The high cost of living creates a sudden sense of pressure.
Our Hong Kong tour guide was surnamed Cai, a woman in her forties who was very snobbish. Her social philosophy and worldly experience boiled down to one thing: having money is good, enjoying life is good, consuming is good; if you have money, you're the boss, and if you don't, you're a nobody. Although I didn't like this kind of person, I believe she represents a large portion of Hong Kong citizens. With great survival pressure and numerous temptations, it's easy for people to view money as life itself. Hong Kong is a society that mocks poverty but doesn't mock prostitution. Compared to other places, the commodity economy and capitalist philosophy are more typical here. This is a place where East meets West, and also where Eastern and Western economies and cultures blend most intimately after colliding. Long-term British colonial rule has left deep marks here. Unfathomable and incomprehensible foreign place names like Sha Tin, Hung Hom, Hollywood Road, and Victoria showcase its westernized side. But the presence of many temples and their flourishing incense offerings, along with a firm belief in Feng Shui, make you feel that traditional culture is performed more authentically here than on the mainland. Not only do they consult auspicious days for weddings and funerals, but they also seek Feng Shui advice for property purchases and business decisions, almost reaching the point of calculating fortune before stepping out of the door. In their eyes, every matter has a Feng Shui interpretation, even buying a necklace can bring good luck.
Despite such superstition, the sex industry is highly developed and can openly advertise in newspapers. It was here that I learned why public telephone directories in mainland China are called "yellow pages." I originally thought it was because the paper was yellow, but here, the thick yellow pages book contains half phone numbers and half advertisements for the sex industry. These ads come with text and illustrations, some subtle, some explicit, offering male and female services alike. No wonder there are Japanese prostitution tours coming here. The simple word "tourism" actually includes such rich content and dark sides. In this place supported by finance, trade, and tourism, I suddenly understood: above the rivers, there are green trees and blue skies, but beneath the rivers flows another world. Good and evil coexist and are shared. The world isn't all true, good, and beautiful, but neither is it entirely false, evil, and ugly.
They all say this is a shopper's paradise. Jewelry, watches, and electronic products are indeed cheaper here than on the mainland, but other goods are not the same. A bottle of mineral water costs 15 yuan, and a small bowl of beef noodles is 48 yuan. Here, McDonald's is truly the cheapest option, costing over twenty yuan and providing just enough food for half-satiation. During my stay in Hong Kong, I ate sparingly every day, only eating until eight-tenths full. When I arrived in Macao, I ate until my stomach was about to burst. Despite being so close geographically, Macao is yet another world, much different from the impressions and propaganda.